July 12, 2000 -
July 11, 2000 - Melanie Benjamin was sworn in as the new Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe today. Benjamin defeated Marge Anderson in last months tribal elections. Some say a key point in the campaign was the issue of increased per capita payments of casino profits to band members. Benjamin says she will hold public meetings to decide if band members want the increase. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post reports.
July 10, 2000 - The beginnings of Buckthorn in this country were innocent enough. The ornamental shrub was brought from Europe in the 1800's as a landscaping hedge. It grew well, a little too well, and today Buckthorn is another one of those invasive, non-native species wreaking havock on the state's native plants. It invades forests, and chokes out new plant growth. Naturalists in Minnesota are fighting Buckthorn, they say if it grows unchecked, it could seriously harm the state's woodlands. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.
January 3, 2000 - For Monday ATC/ 1-3-00 In the early part of the 20th century it was not uncommon, for wealthy families, to have a pipe organ sitting in the parlor. Radio and then Television eventually replaced music as a family's form of home entertainment. But not everywhere. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post found a western Minnesota farmer who has dedicated his life, and a big part of his house, to a pipe organ.
December 28, 1999 - The holiday shopping season was supposed to be a big coming out party for online retailers. Shoppers by one estimate spent more than 3 billion dollars over the Internet during the holidays, and that's up from a negligible amount last year. But the real news may be how many of the biggest names in retailing have fallen short when it comes to processing orders and delivering goods when promised. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post looks at how some big local firms fared in the wild world of internet retailing.
December 16, 1999 - A 28 year old Long Prarie woman who suffered from depression and emotional problems was charged this fall with killing one of her daughters and critically injuring another after driving her car into a lake with the girls inside. Todd County officials can't release much information about the daughter who survived, but say she is still hospitalized. According to the girls' father, their mother had been taking an anti-psychotic medication, but stopped weeks earlier. The incident raises questions about access to quality mental health care in Minnesota. In rural Minnesota, people sometimes face obstacles when searching for treatment. Obstacles that concern professionals, community leaders and rural residents.
December 10, 1999 - One year ago tomorrow a gas explosion in downtown St. Cloud killed four people, injured about a dozen and destroyed several downtown buildings. Those involved in the blast are reflective on this anniversary, remembering what was lost and also what lessons were learned.
November 26, 1999 - Ham radio enthusiasts take their hobby seriously. They surround themselves with hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars worth of equipment, so they can talk to people across the state, the country and the world. They also perform a community service by watching the weather and relaying wireless messages during emergencies. As the internet changes what we can expect from our communication systems, some radio amateurs are trying to recruit new members to the hobby, so there is a next generation to take over.
October 19, 1999 - The city of St. Cloud is moving forward with a proposal to further regulate digging crews. City officials decided to get tough after workers hit dozens of natural gas lines this year. Last December a crew working for cable provider Seren Innovations hit a gas line in downtown St. Cloud, causing an explosion that killed four people and damaged several buildings. Other Minnesota cities are watching St. Cloud's effort. The proposal to keep closer tab on crews could become a statewide model.
October 15, 1999 - Fall is filled with traditions. The warm days and cool nights seem to energize Minnesotans to get their work done before winter. Lawn mowers get put into storage and the rakes come out. But in St. Cloud, part of the fall tradition - the smell of burning leaves - has fallen by the wayside. St. Cloud was one of the few cities left in Minnesota where residents could burn leaves, that is until the city council banned it recently. People who didn't like the smoke are happy, but not everyone is cheering the action.